A method and determination device for determining surface shapes are already known in general. The installation space for a determination device is limited, particularly if the surface shapes of objects are determined by small devices, for example a mobile computer, a tablet PC or a mobile phone and other mobile and possibly battery-operated devices. In various different devices (tablet PC, mobile phones, . . . ) the structural height of the device in particular is significantly limited in the direction of the surface to be determined. Known methods and determination devices for determining surface shapes require a lot of installation space however.